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New Braunfels Herald Zeitung (Newspaper) - August 24, 2005, New Braunfels, Texas
Page 4A — Herald-Zeitung — Wednesday, August 24, 2005
FORUM
Our Opinion
Are you ready for some prep football?
For football fans, when the stadium lights are on and football is being played, all is right in the world.
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nine-month wait will come to an end Friday when the lights at Smithson Valley and Canyon high schools turn on and the Rangers and Cougars charge into the stadium to officially open football season.
The next night, New Braunfels will open its first season under coach Chuck Canniford on the road.
For football fans, when the stadium lights are on and football is being played, all is right in the world.
Success on the gridiron is expected in Comal County. Smithson Valley and New Braunfels have shown consistent excellence for many years, and Canyon has made a late rush during the last few years to catch up competitively.
When the season officially kicks off. fans will flock to local high schools by the thousands to participate in a Texas ritual.
But for the players on the field, the games will be the result of months and months of hard work. For many high school football players, this season began the minute last year ended. Since that time, they have worked out — lifting weights, running and striving to get better.
The result of that work will be on display this weekend. Fans will see new faces, new coaches, new plays and new opponents. But they will also see something they have grown accustomed to — hundreds of high schoolers giving it their all to represent their school and their community.
We congratulate the Unicorns, Cougars and Rangers in advance for an excellent season under the Friday night lights.
Today in History
By The Associated Press
Today is Wednesday, Aug. 24. the 236th day of 2005. There are 129 days left in the year.
Today’s I lighlight in I listory:
On Aug. 24. 1992. Hurricane Andrew smashed into Florida, causing record damage; 55 deaths in Florida, Louisiana and the Bahamas were blamed on the storm.
On this date:
In AD. 79. long-dormant Mount Vesuvius erupted. burying the Roman cities of Pompeii and I lercu-laneum in volcanic ash. An estimated 20,000 people died.
In 1572. the slaughter of French Protestants at the hands of Catholics began in Paris.
In 1814, British forces invaded Washington D.C., setting fire to the Capitol and the White House.
In 1932, Amelia Farhart became the first woman to fly nonstop across the United States, traveling from Los Angeles to Newark, N.J., in just over 19 hours.
In 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty went into effect.
In 1954, the Communist Control Act went into effect, virtually outlawing the Communist Party in the United States.
In 1968, France became the world's fifth thermonuclear power as it exploded a hydrogen bomb in the South Pacific.
hi 1981, Mark David Chapman was sentenced in New York to 20 years to life in prison for slaying
>ck star John Lennon.
Syndicated columnist Molly Ivins is on
vacation this week. Her column will Iresume next week.
Herald-Zeitung
Sen tug Nevi' Braunfels and Comal County since 1852.
New Braunfels Zeitung was founded 1852; New Braunfels Herald was founded 1890. The two papers merged in 1957 and printed in both German and English until 1958.
Managing Editor
Gary E. Maitland
Editor and Publisher
Doug Toney
Circulation Director
Jeff Fowler
Advertising Director
Neice Bell
Business Manager
Valerie Shields
News Editor
David Rupkalvis
GUESTCOLUMN
Cervin has failed to uphold obligation to her constituents
We are not private citizens, we are public officials representing the taxpayers and therefore, more should be expected from us,” wrote Ms. Rose Cervin in a guest column published in the Herald-Zeitung July 12.
The irony of her statement is that, in fact, Ms. Cervin has continued to neglect the constituents of District 5, and therefore has acted more as a private citizen than an elected public official since she was sworn into office.
I lere is a record of her attendance (or lack thereof) since her election:
■ July 17, superintendent search interviews
— Absent
■ July 15, superintendent search interviews
— Absent
■ July 12, superintendent search — Absent
■ July 7, superintendent search — Absent
■ July 6, superintendent search—Absent
■ July 5, budget development and pay raises/ salary schedules — Absent
■ lune 28, regular board meeting — Absent
■ June 23, superintendent search interviews
— Late
■ June 22, superintendent search interviews
— Late
■ June 11, superintendent search application reviews — Late and left early
■ June 2, Strategic Planning Committee report — Absent
■ May 16, canvassing election results — Absent
■ May 14, interim superintendent selection
— l,ate
Ms. Cervin complains that Board President Dan Krueger would not allow her to ask questions at the June 22-23 board meetings when they were interviewing candidates for Comal ISI) superintendent.
This reader has to wonder how she could even pose informed questions when clearly she hasn t participated in the entire process for
selection of the superintendent.
Furthermore, since she has been ignoring District 5 constituents by refusing to answer our questions or represent us at the school board meetings, this reader has to wonder if her questions were framed from her “private citizen” perspective rather than as an elected public official.
"I do not agree in panic- C AROL KELLER ipating in any social functions and/or meetings Carol Keller is a that I feel would be wast- Bulverde resident. ing taxpayers’ monies,”
Ms. Cervin stated in the same July 12 guest column.
You are wasting District 5’s and Comal ISD’s time and money, Ms. Cervin.
If you disagree with participating in the process for selecting a superintendent, considering salary schedules or any other CIS!) business, resign your position as District 5 trustee. We can, and will, elect a trustee who clearly comprehends the difference between private opinions and public service. You do not.
LETTERS POLICY
■ Letters must be 250 words or less.
■The Herald-Zeitung reserves the right to edit all submissions.
■ Guest columns should be 500 words or less and must be accompanied by a photo.
■ Address and telephone number must be included so authorship can be confirmed.
Mail letters to:
Letters to Editor c/o Herald-Zeitung RO. Drawer 311328 New Braunfels, TX 78131-1328
Fax them to:
(830) 606-3413
e-mail them to:
news@herald-
zeitung.com
HOW TO CONTACT
United States Government
PRESIDENT
■ George W. Bush
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20500
SENATE
■ Kay Bailey Hutchison
Russell Senate Office Building Room 284
Washington, D.C. 20510 Telephone: (202) 224-5922 Fax: (202) 224-0776 Web: http://hutchison.senate.gov/ (Send e-mails through Web site.)
SAN ANTONIO OFFICE:
145 Duncan Drive, Suite 120 San Antonio 78226 Telephone: (210) 340-2885 Fax: (210) 349-6753
■ John Cornyn
Russell Senate-Hart Room 517 Washington, D.C. 20510 Telephone: (202) 224-2934 Fax: (202) 228-2856 Web: http://cornyn.senate.gov/ (Send e-mails through Web site.)
AUSTIN OFFICE:
221 West Sixth St., Suite 1530 Austin 78701
Telephone: (512) 469-6034 Fax: (512) 469-6020
SAN ANTONIO OFFICE:
600 Navarro, Suite 210 San Antonio 78205 Telephone: (210) 224-7485 Fax: (210) 224-8569
CONGRESSMAN
■ Lamar Smith
Rayburn House Office
Building
Room 2184
Washington, D.C. 20515 Telephone: (202) 225-4236 Fax: (202) 225-8628 Web address:
http://lamarsmith.house.gov/ (Send e-mails through Web site.)
SAN ANTONIO OFFICE:
1100 NE Loop 410, Suite 640 San Antonio 78209 Telephone: (210) 821-5024 Fax: (210) 821-5947
■ Henry Cuellar
1404 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Telephone: (202) 225-1640 Fax: (202) 225-1641 Web address: http://www.house.gov/cuellar SAN ANTONIO OFFICE:
1149 E. Commerce St., Suite 210 San Antonio 78205 Telephone: (210) 271-2851 Fax: (210) 277-6671
GOVERNOR
HOW TO CONTACT
Texas
Government
miiiiiniiii
■ Rick Perry
State Capitol, Room 2S.1 RO. Box 12428 Austin 78711
Telephone: (800) 843-5789 Fax: (512) 463-1849
STATE HOUSE
■ Carter Casteel
254 E. Mill St.
New Braunfels 78130 Telephone: (830) 627-0215 E-mail address:
carter.casteel@ house.state.tx.us
STATE SENATE
■ Jeff Wentworth
1250 NE Loop 410, Suite 720 San Antonio 78209 Telephone: (210) 826-7800
WHILE IN AUSTIN: Telephone: (512) 463-0125 Fax: (512) 463-7794 E-mail address:
jeff.Wentworth (^senate.state.tx.us
■ Judith Zaffirini
RO. Box 627 Laredo 78042-0627
SAN ANTONIO OFFICE: 12702Toepperwein Road #214 San Antonio 78233s of land will never satisfy demands of Palestinians
I
m\
Ov
\\ V CALTHOMAS
Cal Thomas is a columnist for Tribune Media Services International. He hosts "After Hours" on Fox News Channel Saturdays at ll p.m.
EST. Direct all mail for Cal Thomas to: Tribune Media Services. 435 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 1500, Chicago. 60611, or leai>e an e-mail at wwu '.calthomas.com.
n the Janies Bond movie “Live and Let Die,” "007” encoun- ters a nest of crocodiles bent
Jon having him for a meal. Armed only with pieces of chicken, Bond tosses the fowl at the crocs to hold them off until he figures out an escape plan. The crocks quickly consume the chicken, but keep pressing toward their ultimate objective.
Which brings us to Israels forced removal of residents from Gaza. Israel is “Bond.”
The pieces of chicken represent land. The Palestinian/ Arab/Muslim side are crocodiles. Get it?
Most Westerners do not. Israel tosses pieces of land at the Palestinian side, but once it is consumed, the Palestinians only want more until their real objective — the consumption of Israel — is reached and their hunger satiated.
Reading and listening to the reaction of Muslim clerics, Palestinian
leaders and others throughout the region to Israel s unilateral act offers little comfort to anyone with faith in a two-state “solution” consisting of Israel and a Palestinian entity living side-by-side in peace and harmony. That does not deter apostles of this false political doctrine from continuing to promote their flawed plan.
An editorial in London’s Daily Telegraph represents this thinking: "The onus is now on (Palestinian Authority leader) Mahmoud Abbas... Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Fatah Martyrs’ Brigades and others of their ilk must be persuaded or compelled to abandon their arms in favor of peaceful political engagement.”
That is unlikely to happen. Among the chants heard as Israeli soldiers forced their fellow Jews from their Caza homes was, “We will continue with the rest of Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem, until we control all of Israel.”
Senior I lamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar, in an interview with the Arab newspaper Asharq Al Awsat, said, "We do not and will not recognize a state called Israel.... This land is the property of all
Muslims in all parts of the world.... Let Israel die.”
That ’s not the rhetoric of someone who yearns to live side-by-side in peace and harmony with an Israeli state.
The new president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has rejected democracy as un-Islamic. In a 7,000-word document presented to his parliament detailing his “short- and long-term programs,” Ahmadinejad said that in a Muslim country power belongs to God. I Ie said that not only will he fight any form of democratization in Iran, he would mobilize the nation’s resources to prevent the United States from imposing its plan for self-determination on nations in the region.
While the U.S. has tried to avoid statements about a culture war, Ahmadinejad has no such reluctance. He speaks of a “clash of civilizations” between Islamic republics like Iran and Western “ideas and concepts of government” that he says have no place in Islam. The U.S. is a “sunset" power, he says, while the Islamic Republic is a “sunrise” one.
That’s a pretty clear ideology, matched by an agenda. It says that nothing Israel
does to pacify or mollify these religious fanatics will deter them from their “God-ordained" goals, which consist of the elimination of Israel and the domination of all other nations under Islamic rule. These are not secret records kept from the world. They are published document: that are part of government policies and religious doctrine. To pretend people who say such things don’t really mean it is to be guilty of self-delusion in the extreme.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s government says it won t negotiate with extremist organizations like I lamas, but only with elected leaders of the Palestinian Authority. But what if Hamas supporters win seats in the announced Palestinian parliamentary elections in January?
Even if they don’t, the objectives of the Palestinian Authority are the same as organizations with which Israel will not negotiate.
They are all crocodiles. Tossing pieces of “chicken” in their direction will never satisfy them. They want it all. They say so and their actions prove they are serious.
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